


Easy

by nothingeverlost



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-23 14:43:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/927723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothingeverlost/pseuds/nothingeverlost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I don’t know how you do that.  Forgive so easily.”  Emma rested her hand over Belle’s, the tips of her fingers touching cold skin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Easy

“It’s raining,” she pointed out. It should have been obvious and unnecessary, but despite the downpour she found Belle in the garden behind the pink house. She wore a shirt of silk that was probably ruined and a skirt that clung to her thighs. Her sandals were so covered in mud that Emma couldn’t make out what they looked like.

“I’m not done. The roses…”

“Can take care of themselves for one night.” Emma wasn’t arguing the point; if she was cold after a few minutes, Belle had to be freezing. It had been raining half an hour already, since before she left the station, and she’d lay odds on the fact that Belle had been in the garden since before the rain had started. It was as likely as the fact that her parents had not been innocently ‘brushing their teeth’ when she’d knocked on the bathroom door that morning.

She was just glad she’d decided to swing by Belle’s on her way home. “You know I’m hopeless at tea, but I can heat up the water at least while you take a shower.”

“I’m fine, Emma. Really. I was just so focused on trying to get the garden ready for winter that I didn’t notice the rain.” Belle left her shoes on the back porch and tried to wipe away as much mud as she could on the welcome mat. Emma followed suit, because she knew how worried Belle was about the rugs in the house.

“I’d call bullshit on anyone else who tried to say that, but I’ve seen you read a book in the middle of a literal sword fight. You’re not getting out of that shower, though.” She pointed in the direction of the downstairs bath. “Move, now.”

“I think…”

“You can think all you want in the hot shower. Right now all you need to do is get undressed.” When Belle didn’t move fast enough for her liking, Emma rolled her eyes and started on the buttons of the shirt, undoing the whole row. Under the wet fabric her skin was icy cold. “You get sick and you have to deal with Whale. And me, saying ‘told you so.’” 

“I’ll take a shower.” Emma was about to to undo the buttons at her wrists when Belle pulled away. “Anything to avoid a ‘told you so.’”

“I’ll start the water.” She looked over her shoulder, though, and caught the moment when the shirt came off. “The hell?”

Belle looked down, fussing with the waistband of her skirt, but she was nowhere near the zipper; she was simply avoiding Emma. 

“What is this from?” She caught one of Belle’s hands, turning it over to get a better look at her wrist. The skin on top had a rough texture that she’d never paid attention to before, probably because Belle tended towards long sleeves. It was the inside of her wrists, though, that had Emma’s attention Layers of scar tissue made her skin seem almost twisted and knotted.

“Shackles. I tried to escape, when Regina first captured me. She made sure I couldn’t.” Belle turned her hand over so the wrist was hidden. “She didn’t need them here. I was pretty docile.”

“Kind of wishing I hadn’t stopped Gold, any of those times he wanted to kill Regina.” Emma’s jaw tensed; the woman who had been alone with Henry for the first ten years of his life was capable of chaining a woman up for decades. It made her sick to her stomach.

“I didn’t want that, Emma.” This time, Belle really did look for the zipper, and after some tugging managed to get it free. When it fell to the tile floor she was only standing in her underwear and bra.

“How can you not hate her?” They might not have been able to find Henry in Neverland, if not for Regina, but it was also because of her that Greg had spent his whole life planning to destroy the town. Henry wouldn’t have been in danger at all, if Regina hadn’t gone after Greg and his father. So many people might have been happier if not for Regina.

They might be alive. Knowing Regina had killed Graham had made his death hurt all over again.

“I only have so much room for emotions, here.” Belle rested a hand above her chest, between her breasts. “I’d rather feel love and hope.”

“I don’t know how you do that. Forgive so easily.” Emma rested her hand over Belle’s, the tips of her fingers touching cold skin, her thumb brushing the sodden blue satin of her bra. Belle’s nipples were visible through the thin fabric. Emma almost didn’t think about what she was doing when she brushed her finger against one, already pebbled and hard.

“It’s not easy. Nothing worth doing ever is.” Belle twisted her fingers, the bra coming apart in the middle and falling away. Her breaths moved her chest up and down, but other than that she barely moved.

“Some things should be easy.” They’d kissed, a few times, barely anything more than could be considered friendly. Emma wasn’t sure Belle wanted anything more, not with Gold only gone since months, or with a woman with such a crappy track record. But Belle wasn’t stopping her, not when she cupped her breast and felt the skin begin to warm, and not when she dared to lick away a raindrop that slid down her collarbone.

“Showers are easy,” Belle whispered, a hand on the hem of Emma’s shirt. “Join me?”

“Yeah.” Emma shed her clothes and stepped into the steam filled stall. It wasn’t just the water that warmed Belle up, by the time they were done with the shower.


End file.
